Toshiba's New Media Center

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=3083' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=3083</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Toshiba's Digital Products Division has announced the launch of the new Qosmio (pronounced "koss-mee-oh") brand of AV notebook PCs. Toshiba's Qosmio is an integrated, mobile personal entertainment and computing device that offers users a unique "four-in-one" experience with TV, audio, DVD recorder and PC functionality. The announcement of the new Qosmio series represents a significant milestone in Toshiba's global strategy to lead the digital convergence space and meet the rising demand for easy-to-use, personal entertainment solutions."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/toshibanqosmio.jpg" /><br /><br />This new Qosmio E15-AV101 notebook is definitely an innovative product and features a nice 15" screen though future versions will have wide-screen displays of up to 17-inches. The notebook comes standard with a built-in TV tuner, DVR capabilities and a high-quality QosmioEngine that enables increased video and graphics performance. It also includes SRS WOW &amp; TruSurround XT technology and large harman/kardon stereo speaker. It also comes with Intel Pentium M Processor 735 (1.70GHz, 2MB L2 cache) 512MB RAM (which you will presumably upgrade) and 80GB drive and tons of USB 2 ports + integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.<br /><br />One concern - it only supports a 1024x768 resolution and while that is great for TV quality viewing, it is a bit low for just plain old laptop usage. The other concern is that while the specs on the laptop are great, Windows MCE typically requires a >2.5GHz processor to work well. Like I have mentioned before, when I installed MCE on a &lt;2GHz machine with 512MB RAM, it basically crawled. So we will have to wait for benchmarks to see how it performs. Anyways, it will be available for $2699 which seems like a really good price for a laptop loaded with such goodies. Nice.

[entropy1980]

when I installed MCE on a &lt;2GHz machine with 512MB RAM, it basically crawled. Do you have MSDN account? How'd you get your hands on a MCE disc? I am dying for one!!

[Schade]

"The other concern is that while the specs on the laptop are great, Windows MCE typically requires a >2.5GHz processor to work well.

Just remember that this is a Pentium M. I really don't know about video performance, but shouldn't a 1.7M blow a P4 2.5 Ghz out of the water? (I'm not a big hardware guy, I don't know the comparison.) All I know is I've got a Dell laptop at work with a Pentium M 1.6 Ghz that just kills the P4 2 Ghz desktop my co-worker uses. We have a Perl script that converts the format of data files we've been using - 26 million data points to convert. Takes 25 minutes on the desktop, 6 minutes of the laptop.

[dean_shan]

What's with the crazy name? Qosmio doesn't really roll of the tounge.

[Suhit Gupta]

when I installed MCE on a &lt;2GHz machine with 512MB RAM, it basically crawled.
Do you have MSDN account? How'd you get your hands on a MCE disc? I am dying for one!!
Yeah, I got it through MSDN.

Suhit

[Suhit Gupta]

"The other concern is that while the specs on the laptop are great, Windows MCE typically requires a >2.5GHz processor to work well.
Just remember that this is a Pentium M. I really don't know about video performance, but shouldn't a 1.7M blow a P4 2.5 Ghz out of the water? (I'm not a big hardware guy, I don't know the comparison.) All I know is I've got a Dell laptop at work with a Pentium M 1.6 Ghz that just kills the P4 2 Ghz desktop my co-worker uses. We have a Perl script that converts the format of data files we've been using - 26 million data points to convert. Takes 25 minutes on the desktop, 6 minutes of the laptop.
The Pentium is definitely wicked fast. It is just that I have been jaded since my last MCE install. I will be trying it again soon though on a more beefy machine. So let's see how that works out.

Suhit

[dean_shan]

Yeah, I got it through MSDN.

Now would you (legaly) be able to share that with some one (me)?

[Suhit Gupta]

Yeah, I got it through MSDN.
Now would you (legaly) be able to share that with some one (me)?
Sorry no. Well, unless you are studying/working here at Columbia University? But I am guessing that that is a long commute. ;-)

Suhit

[dean_shan]

Sorry no. Well, unless you are studying/working here at Columbia University? But I am guessing that that is a long commute. ;-)

That's what I thought. Doesn't hurt to ask though.